Posted by Paul Wilczynski on January 22, 2020, 5:20 pm
I am having a 1924 20 gauge Ideal with 28" barrels restored. The stock it came with was in bad shape so I am having it re-stocked. I have a choice of going with American walnut or English walnut. The English is obviously more. Which way should I go? Also the Ideal came with flat diamond checkering at 20 LPI. Say with that or upgrade? I have always leaned toward keeping a piece as original as possible but with the money I am putting into this gun should I upgrade?
Paul This is your gun and your money and you may never wish to do another major gun restoration, so finish the piece according to your own personal preferences if you choose to go outside grade standard. As to the Ideal Grade stock parameter, this gun would have been originally stocked with American black walnut; sometimes wood figure on an Ideal Grade was very plain, while it was spectacular on others. As I personally spend more time looking at my guns than using/shooting them, I really like the warm glow and beauty of highly figured walnut; so if it were mine I'd opt for a nice stick of crotch figured black walnut. Obviously, actual cost of the blank will be greater, but the labor cost will be the same. As to checkering, years ago a former gun works employee working in the checkering department was quoted as saying he was responsible for checkering 3 racks (a rack being 25 stocks) each day; and that as a new and unskilled worker, he worked only on Field and Ideal Grade stocks as those were the lowest grade guns. If all these checkered panels and been finished to a high degree with finely pointed diamonds, then it would have been impossible to perform his daily task and stay within cost parameters. So unless your plans are to represent this restocked Ideal as original, then I would have those flat checkered panels done the way they should have been done at the factory had cost not been so critical and enjoy a beautiful small bore Smith gun stocked to my personal dimensions. Just my thoughts, Tom
Paul, you say that the stock is in bad shape but how bad? My 2 cents is that I try to keep the original stock if any way possible. If you don't mind, send me photos to cedarclyffelodge@gmail. I am looking for a 20 ga stock if you decide to go for a replacement and are willing to sell this one. Thanks, Tom
Tom Garver - The stock has been poorly restored in the past. It was sanded down so much that in many places the metal protrudes from the wood where they meet. Also someone tried to re-checker the stock and it is bad. In my view there was no saving it. Even the forearm wood was shy of material. It's going to be a few months before it is done.
Greetings Paul - I had a 16 gauge Ideal grade restored several years ago and empathasize with the cost. But when I saw it for the first time after restoration it was money well spent. I did go with English walnut and opted for a few subtle upgrades. I went with 24 LPI diamond checkering and the gunsmith who restocked it added nice little fleur de lis' on the flats on either side of the stock. He was even able to salvage the little triangular piece of ebony on the forend which was also checkered at 24 LPI. I (like you) would prefer to go original. But there is nothing wrong with a resto-mod if done tastefully and does not detract from the aesthetics of the shotgun. I also believe that any money spent on an L.C. is well spent. After all they are engineering and artistic masterpieces and they are not making any more. Best of luck and kudos for opting to restore. One last thing, put her to work after she comes home. Don't lock her away in the safe taking her out on those special occasions. I gave mine to my middle son who uses her to hunt pheasants in Nebraska. Even more exciting than seeing her for the first time was seeing my son drop a Nebraska ringneck over a pointing German shorthair. John from Omaha